This invention relates to computer and communications systems, and more particularly, to providing automated notification to subscribers of a notification system, including notifying airline customers upon some airline event.
Airline travelers desire increased customer service for notification of changes in airline schedules and other airline events, and ease of making changes to their travel plans especially upon occurrence of a flight cancellation. Currently, travel customers are typically notified of airline schedule changes via a public address system and airport monitors, or by a customer service agent. In response to hearing the announcement or looking at an airport monitor, the travel customer then typically either goes to a ticket counter and waits in line for a ticket agent to make new travel plans, or initiates a telephone call to an airline agent.
Airline travelers desire reliable, faster, and better methods of receiving notification of airline schedule information which affects their travel, as well as easier methods for updating their travel plans. In addition, customers who are frequent customers of the airlines or paid for a higher priced ticket also desire increased levels of customer service.
According to the invention, an automated method and apparatus are provided for notifying subscribers in real-time based on some notification event, including notifying airline customers of changes in airline information which affects their travel plans, as well as other types of notification events. This notification can occur via standard communications devices commonly carried by travels such as pagers, two-way pagers, cellular telephones (e.g., via automated voice, call centers), and mobile computers (e.g., via email or a web page). The present invention further provides for notifying selected groups of customers based on a predetermined criteria, such as frequent flyer level, class of service, or price of ticket. Moreover, the invention also provides for receiving a response from a notified customer to update the travel plans for those communications devices that support two-way communication. In this manner, selected groups or individual customers can be given preferential treatment.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a customer message manager for notifying a set of subscribers based of relevant changes in information, the customer message manager performing the steps of: receiving a notification event from a real-time data system; determining the set of subscribers to provide notification of the received notification event; and initiating notification of the set of subscribers in the order identified by a predetermine criteria. In an embodiment, the predetermined criteria is a subscriber level identified with a particular customer; and preferably, a predetermined period of time is delayed between notification of the particular subscribers having different subscriber levels. An embodiment of the customer message manager provides notification is provided through email, paging, a web site, automated voice synthesis, interactive voice response, and/or a call center.
In an embodiment, the customer message manager further performs the steps of: receiving a subscriber response indicating a requested change to the real-time data system; and providing a change request to the real-time data system. Preferably, the predetermined criteria is a subscriber level identified with a particular customer; and a predetermined period of time is delayed between notification of the particular subscribers having different subscriber levels.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a customer message manager for notifying customers of airline information, the customer message manager which performing the steps of receiving a notification event from an airline system; determining a set of customers to provide notification of the received notification event; and initiating notification of the set of customers in the order identified by a predetermine criteria.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a customer message manager for notifying customers of airline information, the customer message manager performing the steps of polling an airline system to received airline information; evaluating the received airline information to generate notification events; determining a set of customers to provide notification of the generated notification event; and initiating notification to the set of customers in the order identified by a predetermine criteria.
Yet, another embodiment of the present invention provides a customer message manager for notifying customers of airline information in response to a notification event and receiving a customer response for making a change to an airline system, the customer message manager performing the steps of determining a set of customers to provide notification of the notification event; initiating notification of the set of customers; receiving a customer response indicating a requested change to the airline system; and providing a change request to the airline system. The notification event can be received from the airline system; or the customer message manager can poll an airline system to received airline information, and then evaluate the received airline information to generate notification events.
Embodiments of the present invention provide for notifying customers based on a flight schedule event (e.g., a flight cancellation, a gate change, equipment change, alternate flight options, a flight delay or early arrival); a flight status event (e.g., boarding, last call, arrived, departed); a ticketing event (e.g., upgrades available, overbooking); marketing events (i.e., higher classes of service available for additional fees, incentives to change fights, advertisements).
In embodiments of the present invention, the predetermined criteria is a frequent flyer level, a ticket price level, or a ticket class identified with a particular customer. These notification events include, but is not limited to, flight schedule events, flight status events, ticketing events, and marketing events. The notification is provided through email, paging, a web site, automated voice synthesis, interactive voice response, a call center, or any other communications media or system as would be understood by one skilled in the art in keeping with the scope and spirit of the present invention.